What’s Your Poison? Gee, That Tastes a Bit Strange!

Emergency crews were called to a Melbourne childcare centre in April, where twelve children were treated after accidentally drinking cleaning chemicals, when detergent was mistakenly put into a drink.

All 12 children who drank the liquid were treated by paramedics at the scene but did not need hospital treatment.

Also last month, a Russian woman was rushed to hospital with poisoning after drinking hand sanitiser, which was in a mineral water bottle that she purchased from a café.

The woman took a sip from the bottle labelled as “mineral water” and spat out the mouthful of sanitiser immediately, but still required treatment in hospital for two days. The cafe admitted to keeping the hand sanitiser in a water bottle.

During the COVID 19 pandemic there has been an increase in poisonings from alcohol-based hand sanitisers, in Australia and overseas.

The incidents serve as an important reminder to store and label chemicals correctly.

Where possible, chemicals should remain in original containers with the supplier’s label and if it is necessary to decant the chemical into another container, use only clearly labelled containers intended for chemicals.

Chemicals should never be stored in food or drink containers and must be stored separate food or drink e.g. never in the refrigerator with other food and drinks.

Chemicals in food containers

How to correctly label a decanted chemical

All decanted chemicals must be clearly and correctly labelled. This includes containers of waste or process by-product but does not include containers that are immediately used and cleaned or disposed of.

Victoria

Decanted hazardous substances containers must include the name of chemical.

Decanted Dangerous Goods (DG) need to be labelled with; the name, DG class label and sub-risk.

WHS States Australia (all jurisdictions except Victoria, and WA):

Decanted hazardous chemicals, research chemicals or samples must be labelled with:

• the name of the chemical and

• applicable hazard pictograms or hazard statements for the chemical.

Western Australia

Hazardous substances must be labelled with:

• the brand name, trade name, code name or code number specified by the supplier of the hazardous substance; and 

• the risk phrases and safety phrases that apply to the hazardous substance. 

Note: If you do decant into a used food container, fully remove the food label and re-label the container correctly.

Click here to download fact sheet Labelling Decanted Chemicals.